Thursday, July 17, 2003


this is my response to an post in one of the mailing lists I joined (Twisted Halo) to a person who thought that the moderator had dissed F4. But the mod firmly answered that he did not, that he only pointed out that much is to be spent if ever the group came here, which should be used to support our local musicians instead...



I'm not anti-F4, not liking them doesn't necessarily mean that I'm against them. But with the blitzkrieg-ish rise in the number of boybands, and hirap na makahanap ng distinction, nakakamanhid nang makakita ng isang bagay na ginawa na nung una. And to be objective, it applies to all genres, pop man o rock.

At saka, agree ako with Kuya Vin, laking pera nun! Just think of the countless struggling bands and artists here, kahit hindi na yung mga nasa pop, na ni walang suporta sa sarili nilang bansa. At napakasakit nu'n, for an artist who has been trying his ass off to be heard, para lang masapawan ng isang artist from another country na ni hindi alam na nakakabenta sila ng albums nila sa isang non-Chinese speaking country.

Hindi ba't katulad ito ang nangyari sa Sugar Free? Nasapawan in terms of priority ng ibang artists (tulad nila Martin at Regine) sa sarili nilang label (according sa Press Kit that came with their album). Kaya lumipat sila. Larger scale ang nangyayari ngayon with F4.

Ang Kulay, hindi ganun kasikat dito sa Pinas, pero nasa OST sila ng isang foreign movie (Virtual Sexuality yata yun). Ang Pin-up Girls, Sonnet LVIII at Chain Gang, signed sa foreign labels.

Although it may seem that indie has marked the new era in a musical revolution of sorts, it may not be so. Why would so many talented musicians go indie? Perhaps there's not really a niche in the market for their type of music. Perhaps their songs are a little too heavy for our culture to handle. Perhaps the labels view them as unmarketable. But the bottomline has always been lack of support.

Just look at the "in" thing in pop nowadays, accoustic and the rivalry betweed Nina and Kyla. And now look at how F4 has been dominating the airwaves (oh, crap! Even RX plays them, but then again, the stations are still corporate/business ventures/investments). I shudder to think what else is to come now that another boyband is in the boob tube.

All these are brought by ABS-CBN's power of suggestion. Have a new show, say it's the "in" thing, have it mentioned in their other programs, have it supported by ALL their media partners (MYX, 101.9, etc) and what do we get? A newly acquired phenomenon scrounged mainly by ABS-CBN worshippers, and easily caught on by trendsetters. Oh and of course, how could we forget the social climbers out there? They who believe that they have to like something just because the general public likes it too.

I saw the same thing happen during college; everyone likes Greyhoundz, you must like Greyhoundz...diss anything un-moshpit-able, even the legendary E-heads and Color It Red (thank goodness insisted loving my own). And then a funny thing happened: Slapshock came and eventually so did Cheese and Chico Sci(ence), so the craze was "diss Greyhoundz, Cheese/Chico Sci is better!"

With all that's been said, I am insisting that I DO NOT HATE F4. I'm just sharing my opinion, just as you did.

LUiS


Another great Sugar Free song! It's a little upbeat, making you think that it's an feel-good song.

But it's not.

It's about loving someone who won't love you back, but still insisting on loving that person anyway. And even assuring that you will always love that person... The line "O kay tagal na kitang minahal" comes in, but assures you that in the end "O kay tagal din kitang mamahalin!" Oh the pain!
AHA! My song!



BURNOUT
Sugar Free

O wag kang tumingin ng ganyan sa akin
Wag mo akong kulitin, wag mo akong tanungin
Dahil katulad mo ako rin ay nagbago
Di na tayo tulad ng dati, kay bilis ng sandali

O kay tagal din kitang minahal

Kung iisipin mo di naman dati ganito
Teka muna lang, kelan tayo nailing?
Kung iisipin mo, di naman dati ganito
Kay bilis kasi ng buhay, pati tayo natangay

O kay tagal din kita minahal

Tinatawag kita sinusuyo kita
Di mo man marinig, di mo man madama

O kay tagal din kitang mamahalin


This is one of my favorite Sugar Free songs...it's about the longingness to return home (duh...)
Anyone reading this, please vote this band (pati na rin Imago) sa 2003 MTV Pilipinas....
...PLEASE vote for Altercation (http://www.altercation.musicrakan.net) sa Webby Awards, it's nominated for ZINES, MUSIC...






LOS BA?OS
Sugar Free

Take me back to my home
To a place where I belong
Times have changed, and so I have
Now I long to go back home
Because I’ve seen a million faces
I’ve been lost in many places
I’ve laughed and I’ve cried
I’ve lived and I’ve died

But it’s always you I run home to
Take me back, take me home away from here back to where
I am free

When I’m tired of the noise I go back to the age of toys
Where my grass is green
And my thoughts were once clean

But it’s always you I run home to
Take me back, take me home away from here back to where
I am free

Kalayaan sa ating lahat



This one i got from email.....

Sex based on first letter of your first name


...hmmmmm...





* L-

You are very romantic, idealistic, and somehow you believe that to love means to suffer. You wind up serving your mate or attracting people who have unusual troubles. You see yourself as your lover's saviour. You are sincere(check!), passionate(check!), dreamy(check!), and lustful(WHOA!). You can't help falling in love. You fantasize and get turned on by movies and magazines(u...). You do not tell others of this secret life, nor of your sexual fantasies.

Wednesday, July 16, 2003


I got this from the Kabalarians website from A's blog...TY, dudette!




Luis




Important:
This analysis describes a few qualities of the first name of Luis . There are many additional factors (legal name, nicknames, family surname, combined names, previous names, and business signature) that contribute to your entire personality - and your entire life.

The name of Luis has given you an appreciation for many beautiful and refined aspects of life--music and art, literature, drama--and the outdoors, where you find much peace and relaxation, but it creates a far too sensitive nature. You sense and feel much that you do not understand, and sometimes you are alarmed at your thoughts and wonder about their origin. You rarely experience the tranquility that comes with stability of thinking or emotional control. At times, you are very inspired, desiring to be with people and to entertain others as the "life of the party," while at other times you are aloof and choose to remove yourself entirely from association. You crave understanding and affection but your intensity of desire and your self-consciousness prevent you from finding the happiness you desire. You have suffered many disappointments and misunderstandings because of your inability to express your inner thoughts. You could experience sensitivity in the heart, lungs, or bronchial organs, causing tuberculosis, asthma, or depletion of your energies.

A
Ey, dude (or is it dudette?)! How'd you find my blog?

And to answer your question....I find it hard to just pick up the receiver and dial her number. It may seem pretty stupid but, it's true. Because I know I'll just torture myself again, my masochistic side is thoughroughly enjoying it, though.
Hearing her voice over the line reminds me when she call����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Tuesday, July 15, 2003


For the past few days, Teresa's face has been plastered on my eyes, giving the effect that I am wearing contact lenses with her transparent face. And I want it to stop. Although I must admit that I have some hunger to torture myself by even calling her.

And believe me, I do.

This started just when I thought that I have forgotten everything I felt for her...turns out I was fooling myself. And dumb ole me just played along as long as I could, and eventually got distracted. Oh, those months of distraction were sweet, warm and calm. I only wished that I could dwell in them again. But it is not so.

In my efforts to achieve employment, I passed a resume to another call center, this time from the Ortigas area, a sensible decision, I thought. But then as I was crossing the street I saw her. You wouldn't believe how pathetic the smile was in my face, but in the back of my mind I really wanted to run to the other side. To her side. But when the crowd had cleared I saw another familiar face beside her, clutching her hand. Something in me just drooped when I saw her with my bestfriend.

I've always wanted to be a DJ since high school. Imagine just talking on-air answering calls and meeting all these musicians.
I wanted to become just like Tom Alvarez from RX.
And then I heard their ad, that they were looking for two members of their on-air staff. So I passed a resume and even went to their booth to record demo for their archives.
I have no experience in broadcasting, but I have received enough parise from friends even strangers that I have a pleasant voice. I have pride in my accent.

I NEED YOUR PRAYERS.PLEASE PRAY FOR ME.













Sunday, July 13, 2003


Since not everyone does this, aside from the fact that I have not seen any films lately (yes, I am culturally deprived), I have decided to review music videos instead. And while I'm at it, I'll also put in some random thoughts about the songs and the artists themselves.


Metallica - St. Anger

Filmed entiresly in jail, the concept was having a gig in the middle of recess with cut scenes of inmates engaged in a riot. The feel may not be new, but at least it's not criminally derivative; and the intro - of the warden instructing the band - was a clever touch.

On thing that annoys me about the band, of which I am savagely envious of, is their fashion sense. Of course, it's no longer the 80s, and the odds of them being mistaken for a hair band are remote, if not impossible, only Kirk Hammet and Rob Trujillo insist on carrying the log hair bit. And then there are also the present-day rocker gear - James' bonnet and shirt, for instance - that gives the band the rockstar essence without them even trying.

Though, I enjoy the music, every time I would be reminded that it's Metallica sure as hell beats the crap out of me. It certainly isn't what I'd expect from them, and that isn't always a good thing. Had it been from the newer, younger bands such as 12 Stones, Papa Roach, System of a Down or even Disturbed, I wouldn't be so obscenely shocked, and alarming.

I have no idea in hell what Metallica was thinking when they wrote St. Anger, but I'm also sure it's Rob's presence and influence that's to be blamed. Or maybe Jason should share the blame, for leaving.

Maybe Rob's arrival may have opened a few doors in terms of their music, since I would love to see them grow and progress, but at the price of losing their signature Metallica sound? Their soul?

Maybe I'm just not used to the abrupt change.



Jewel - Intuition

A blond girl danced across the street, wearing skimpy clothes that bordered more on the kinkiness than sexiness, I thought it was Anna Kournekova. A tennis player, who never really made it to the majors with an album? Well, she did become a model for sports bra, and with a tag line for the ad, which says something like "Because only the ball should bounce…" it may not seem so far off. And besides the horrendous music seemed to confim it.

A few more scenes and I gawked and gaped in disbelief - it's JEWEL!

To be fair, the video was witty enough, showing several pieces of parodied advertisements. This video may be an outcry in her efforts to finally sell out, but to prance around in her undies in true Britney/Cristina fashion?

A change in her sound would have been welcome, but she chose a rather unlikable direction to grow into, somewhere her fans would hate to see her go. And her falsetto-win-an-identity-crisis type of voice didn't really settle in with the changes and most importantly, the very annoying chorus (…you intuiiiiiitiooooon…!). She not only deviated from her folksy-poetic roots but having lost her soulfulness is utterly unforgivable. I only hope it's only for this one song.

Her newly acquired allergy to cloth is very disturbing.


Michelle Branch - Are you Happy Now

The intro was half bad, a terrible tune apparently from a phonogragh and a blurry, grainy close-up shot of her face.

But the opening chords were nice, warm and simple and a welcome start with an equally simple scene - Michelle sitting alone in a bench - which complements the entire gloomy concept for the video.

From her first tracks to this one, we can see that she has indeed developed as a musician. I have always liked her subtle sense of wit and thankfully it's still present in her songwriting. And as for her vocals, even that has slightly changed; because she now sound like…ta-dah…ALANIS MORISSETTE! Yes folks, I couldn't quite believe it myself when I heard her fire up her vocal chords in the chorus.

However, since she same way - not edging towards the dark side - and since this song is particularly too angst-ridden, she may have had difficulty expressing it. And so the entire song it showered with lines like "And you don't care about me…" and But I don't care…, making the song a little dry, sounding more like a whining girl who needed to be bitch-slapped than a bitch hoping to slap a girl as she whined.

I do hope she works this out because I can see a lot of potentials from her. Here's hoping she won't go the M2M way.


Beyoncé Knowles - Crazy In Love

I could watch this video all day - just let me press the MUTE button after the fourth repeat.

Beyoncé is one hot, black chick. But unlike other hot, black chicks out there, she has some sophistication up her sleeves, no matter how slutty her wardrobe is. There are some mouth-watering dance sequences, and boy is her body flexible. And she has the butt that could give Jlo a run for her money.

The music itself is noteworthy, with a healthy interplay of retro sensibilities and a lot of damn catchy beats (that went well with that damn bouncy body).

'Nuff said! YUM!


Deftones - Minerva

This band absolutely rocks! I've been listening to them since high school, pretty good taste doncha think???

Minerva is the first single off their newest, self-titled album. As tradition, the proverbial Deftones videos are laced with the beauty of the simplicity of gloom (remember the warehouse video for Be Quiet and Drive and the shark-infested tranquility of My Own Summer). With this video, they chose a desert, or what apparently looked like one, as a background for the band.

One thing I noticed about vocalist Chino Moreno is that he seems to grow ever so corpulent with each video. He started slender in Be Quiet…, gained some mass in Street Carp, seemed to have ingested a boulder in Back to School (where he barely moves, because of his bulk, I suspect) and in Minerva, he's just pure flab packed in a jacket (as if I, myself, am not…LOL). It is in this video that I noticed that he, with the goatee, thick eyebrows and very evident Chicano roots, completely resembles Dicta License's Kelley Mangahas, minus the reversed cap, the usual white shirt and black shorts.

The song is simply great. The crunchy guitars crash in with the raunchy bass, the drumbeats threaten to mutilate the entire sound, while the vocal work (God bless you all…) smoothens out the carcass. And that, ladies and gentlemen, makes it sound as much as soothing as it is torturous.

New mantra: MUST-GET-ALBUM! NOW!
I have always posted here, aside from the blow-by-blow accounts of my "adventures" and my thoughts on absurd subjects, but also my take on the films that I have seen. My terribly detailed post on Matrix: Reloaded and Ring 0: Birthday were the first and it allowed me to do what I really enjoy doing, write Feature articles. And all I needed was a publication to take me in.

The main problem I have been facing ever since was that movie reviews require that you have seen the film before anyone else. Premiere night tickets aren't really easily within reach when pocket sizes matter, unless I would join every other radio station's contests to win those gala invites, and frankly I don't fancy going for the right-numbered caller, answer-a-question-on-air and certainly not the sing-along-to-the-jingle bit these stations are so notoriously known for.

So I set up a blog, which was a logical recourse to being a writer with tons of articles and no place to go. I don't get paid, but at least it's a form of intellectual release sufficient to keep my cogs turning.

And of course, no editors to deal with.